The mother of NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns has died due to complications from Covid-19, her family has confirmed. Jacqueline Cruz-Towns was 58.
“Jackie was many things to many people – a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend,” the Towns family said in a statement. “The matriarch of the Towns family, she was an incredible source of strength; fiery, caring, and extremely loving person, who touched everyone she met. Her passion was palpable and her energy will never be replaced.”
Towns posted a video to social media in March, describing how his mother had been placed into a medically induced coma after contracting the virus. “I think it’s important that everyone understands the severity of what’s happening in the world right now with the coronavirus, and I think where my life is right now could help, so I decided to do this video and give you an update of where I’m at,” Towns said at the time.
Towns’s father, Karl Sr, had also contracted the virus but is now understood to have recovered. Towns has mentioned his close relationship with his mother in several interviews during his career.
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(@Twolves_PR)NEWS: Statement from the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jacqueline Towns: pic.twitter.com/j6iSoaZvo0
Towns’s team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, paid tribute to Cruz-Towns’s role in her son’s career. “Jackie provided constant and positive energy for him and was beloved by our entire organization and staff at Target Center as she supported her son and the Timberwolves,” the team said in a statement. “The League, teams, and players have come together in their support of Jackie and Karl and we are grateful for our NBA family.”
The Towns family also thanked medical staff for their support. “The Towns family is extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and support they have received during this very difficult time,” the family’s statement continued. “They would like to thank the medical warriors at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and JFK Medical Center, who fought for Jackie day in and day out, and helped Karl Sr from the same virus that took Jackie’s life.”
The 24 year-old Towns, who was the No1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, grew up in New Jersey and his mother worked at the state’s Rutgers University for 20 years. New Jersey and neighbouring New York are at the centre of the Covid-19 outbreak in the US.